diff --git a/go/mysql/endtoend/client_test.go b/go/mysql/endtoend/client_test.go
index ce01c57369d..964a8702471 100644
--- a/go/mysql/endtoend/client_test.go
+++ b/go/mysql/endtoend/client_test.go
@@ -298,7 +298,28 @@ func TestReplicationStatus(t *testing.T) {
 
 	status, err := conn.ShowReplicationStatus()
 	assert.Equal(t, mysql.ErrNotReplica, err, "Got unexpected result for ShowReplicationStatus: %v %v", status, err)
+}
+
+func TestReplicationStatusWithMysqlHang(t *testing.T) {
+	params := connParams
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 100*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	conn, err := mysql.Connect(ctx, &params)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	err = cluster.SimulateMySQLHang()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	defer cluster.StopSimulateMySQLHang()
 
+	status, err := conn.ShowReplicationStatusWithContext(ctx)
+	assert.Equal(t, ctx.Err().Error(), "context deadline exceeded")
+	assert.Equal(t, ctx.Err(), err, "Got unexpected result for ShowReplicationStatus: %v %v", status, err)
+	assert.True(t, conn.IsClosed())
 }
 
 func TestSessionTrackGTIDs(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/go/mysql/endtoend/main_test.go b/go/mysql/endtoend/main_test.go
index 466735c02e4..c641332b565 100644
--- a/go/mysql/endtoend/main_test.go
+++ b/go/mysql/endtoend/main_test.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	connParams mysql.ConnParams
+	cluster    vttest.LocalCluster
 )
 
 // assertSQLError makes sure we get the right error.
@@ -200,8 +201,17 @@ ssl-key=%v/server-key.pem
 			OnlyMySQL:  true,
 			ExtraMyCnf: []string{extraMyCnf, maxPacketMyCnf},
 		}
-		cluster := vttest.LocalCluster{
+
+		env, err := vttest.NewLocalTestEnv(0)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v", err)
+			return 1
+		}
+		env.EnableToxiproxy = true
+
+		cluster = vttest.LocalCluster{
 			Config: cfg,
+			Env:    env,
 		}
 		if err := cluster.Setup(); err != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "could not launch mysql: %v\n", err)
diff --git a/go/mysql/flavor.go b/go/mysql/flavor.go
index f732b1ccb88..24de3d3c9a5 100644
--- a/go/mysql/flavor.go
+++ b/go/mysql/flavor.go
@@ -401,7 +401,35 @@ func resultToMap(qr *sqltypes.Result) (map[string]string, error) {
 // ShowReplicationStatus executes the right command to fetch replication status,
 // and returns a parsed Position with other fields.
 func (c *Conn) ShowReplicationStatus() (replication.ReplicationStatus, error) {
-	return c.flavor.status(c)
+	return c.ShowReplicationStatusWithContext(context.TODO())
+}
+
+func (c *Conn) ShowReplicationStatusWithContext(ctx context.Context) (replication.ReplicationStatus, error) {
+	result := make(chan replication.ReplicationStatus, 1)
+	errors := make(chan error, 1)
+
+	go func() {
+		res, err := c.flavor.status(c)
+		if err != nil {
+			errors <- err
+		} else {
+			result <- res
+		}
+	}()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			c.Close()
+			return replication.ReplicationStatus{}, ctx.Err()
+
+		case err := <-errors:
+			return replication.ReplicationStatus{}, err
+
+		case res := <-result:
+			return res, nil
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // ShowPrimaryStatus executes the right SHOW BINARY LOG STATUS command,
diff --git a/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go b/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go
index d49032f34a1..8640910fa17 100644
--- a/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go
+++ b/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go
@@ -376,7 +376,10 @@ func (pool *ConnPool[C]) put(conn *Pooled[C]) {
 
 	if conn == nil {
 		var err error
-		conn, err = pool.connNew(context.Background())
+		// TODO: Do we really want to wait for up to a second here?
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 1*time.Second)
+		defer cancel()
+		conn, err = pool.connNew(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			pool.closedConn()
 			return
diff --git a/go/vt/mysqlctl/fakemysqldaemon.go b/go/vt/mysqlctl/fakemysqldaemon.go
index f6447eda549..35fb7359fcf 100644
--- a/go/vt/mysqlctl/fakemysqldaemon.go
+++ b/go/vt/mysqlctl/fakemysqldaemon.go
@@ -320,6 +320,10 @@ func (fmd *FakeMysqlDaemon) ReplicationStatus(ctx context.Context) (replication.
 	}, nil
 }
 
+func (fmd *FakeMysqlDaemon) ReplicationStatusWithContext(ctx context.Context) (replication.ReplicationStatus, error) {
+	return fmd.ReplicationStatus(ctx)
+}
+
 // PrimaryStatus is part of the MysqlDaemon interface.
 func (fmd *FakeMysqlDaemon) PrimaryStatus(ctx context.Context) (replication.PrimaryStatus, error) {
 	if fmd.PrimaryStatusError != nil {
diff --git a/go/vt/mysqlctl/query.go b/go/vt/mysqlctl/query.go
index 7a1816e3cfb..154ed132062 100644
--- a/go/vt/mysqlctl/query.go
+++ b/go/vt/mysqlctl/query.go
@@ -35,20 +35,42 @@ func getPoolReconnect(ctx context.Context, pool *dbconnpool.ConnectionPool) (*db
 	if err != nil {
 		return conn, err
 	}
-	// Run a test query to see if this connection is still good.
-	if _, err := conn.Conn.ExecuteFetch("SELECT 1", 1, false); err != nil {
+
+	errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	resultChan := make(chan *sqltypes.Result, 1)
+
+	go func() {
+		result, err := conn.Conn.ExecuteFetch("SELECT 1", 1, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			errChan <- err
+		} else {
+			resultChan <- result
+		}
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		conn.Close()
+		conn.Recycle()
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
+
+	case err := <-errChan:
 		// If we get a connection error, try to reconnect.
 		if sqlErr, ok := err.(*sqlerror.SQLError); ok && (sqlErr.Number() == sqlerror.CRServerGone || sqlErr.Number() == sqlerror.CRServerLost) {
 			if err := conn.Conn.Reconnect(ctx); err != nil {
 				conn.Recycle()
 				return nil, err
 			}
+
 			return conn, nil
 		}
+
 		conn.Recycle()
 		return nil, err
+
+	case <-resultChan:
+		return conn, nil
 	}
-	return conn, nil
 }
 
 // ExecuteSuperQuery allows the user to execute a query as a super user.
diff --git a/go/vt/mysqlctl/replication.go b/go/vt/mysqlctl/replication.go
index c94df03e7cf..07e0e3b5fad 100644
--- a/go/vt/mysqlctl/replication.go
+++ b/go/vt/mysqlctl/replication.go
@@ -381,9 +381,9 @@ func (mysqld *Mysqld) ReplicationStatus(ctx context.Context) (replication.Replic
 	if err != nil {
 		return replication.ReplicationStatus{}, err
 	}
-	defer conn.Recycle()
 
-	return conn.Conn.ShowReplicationStatus()
+	defer conn.Recycle()
+	return conn.Conn.ShowReplicationStatusWithContext(ctx)
 }
 
 // PrimaryStatus returns the primary replication statuses
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/reader.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/reader.go
index b50e5e4b2c7..6b798d99ca1 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/reader.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/repltracker/reader.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func (r *heartbeatReader) Status() (time.Duration, error) {
 func (r *heartbeatReader) readHeartbeat() {
 	defer r.env.LogError()
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithDeadline(context.Background(), r.now().Add(r.interval))
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), r.interval)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	res, err := r.fetchMostRecentHeartbeat(ctx)
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ func (r *heartbeatReader) readHeartbeat() {
 		r.recordError(vterrors.Wrap(err, "failed to read most recent heartbeat"))
 		return
 	}
+
 	ts, err := parseHeartbeatResult(res)
 	if err != nil {
 		r.recordError(vterrors.Wrap(err, "failed to parse heartbeat result"))